Small Business Saturday about shopping local

ALTON — From guns to formal wear, Alton area businesses are celebrating Small Business Saturday, a day set aside to encourage small businesses to bring customers through their doors the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The day was initiated by American Express to follow Black Friday, the day when most chains and “big box” stores have their Black Friday sales.

Piasa Armory, 13 Broadway in Alton, is holding sales on both days.

“We are having a Black Rifle sale on Black Friday and a Small Arms Saturday Sale on Small Business Saturday,” said Scott Pulaski, who has been operating the small business since 2012. “He has been in the armory business since 2009. The black rifle sales are for rifles like the AR-15, a military style semi-automatic rifle.

The small arms are for personal weapons for personal safety. They are designed to work under the state’s relatively recent conceal carry law. The small arms including guns like a Smith and Wesson Shield. The business also offers lessons is how to shoot and how to qualify for a Firearm Owners’ Identification Card, as well as maintenance and repair of personal firearms.

Small Business Saturday was initiated by American Express in 2010. The promotions attempt to encourage a neighbors-helping-neighbors attitude among shoppers. The day uses the slogan “shop small.”

Carol Frew’s Bridal and Formal Wear is more of a long-term service-oriented business than a shop that offers “door buster” sales, but manager Angie Shultis said the day helps promote downtown Alton.

“It’s important to us to have people shop the other stores and have traffic and visibility here,” she said.

Charlie Manake of Manake Jewelers is displaying a promotional sign for a contest called Spend River Bend. People can use the Twitter hashtag #spendriverbend to post a selfie at the small business for a chance to $1,000 and other prizes.

At Lindy’s hair salon, the business is closed Saturday, but owner and operator Lindy Sutton is all for shopping local.

“I shop local, always have,” she said. Many of her customers are in small businesses, and she shops with them, in turn.